But Where to Put You?
by AmandaUhidir
Summary: A short-one shot about Harry's journey to the underworld and his experience in it. What happens when what he finds isn't what he expects? AU and no time travel. HP/LL


Harry lay down in his bed, feeling all 134 of his years. The wizarding world had changed much in the past few decades with Hermione at the helm; she had managed, with support from all their friends, to drag the wizarding world kicking and screaming into the early 1900s. While he was sure Hermione could have taken the wizarding world further, she stopped there. She had been concerned if she pushed through the past century's changes, the wizarding world wouldn't be able to take it. Instead, she'd handed the job off to a protégée of hers, a young man named Ardsgainne Salvador; who she'd instructed to slowly bring them through the next few decades' worth of change. It wouldn't do for the wizarding world to react badly and throw away the baby with the bath water.

He let out a sigh as he felt his body disappear into the mattress; his wife should have been here but she had died in an accident much like her mother, leaving behind the lights of his life: Lily, Selene, and Branwen. Lily after his mother; Selene after Luna's mother; and Branwen as a name that he and Luna had both liked. His three daughters were scary smart and had taken after their mother and father in equal measure.

He would miss them he realized. He wished he could stay with them but he could feel his time running out. Slowly, savouring his memories, he breathed his last breath and passed into the void.

`(OvO)´

/)...(\

\,,...,,/

 _/|||||\_

Harry slowly opened his eyes only to find himself in a stereotypical doctor's waiting room. Though, Harry thought, at least the chairs are comfortable here. Looking around, he wondered at the change in scenery from his last foray into the afterlife. There were others in the room: some looked bored, other were crying, still others were flipping through magazine. Some of the people in the room looked as though they died a rather drastic, horrifying death while others hadn't a mark on them – though Harry was sure the little 4-year-old who was playing with a choo-choo train could not possibly have died naturally.

"Harry Potter!" the secretary like creature at the front called.

"Yes?" Harry asked as he made his way to the front.

The Creature looked down at what looked like an appointment book, "Ah, you're right on time. I'll just send you through then – you'll be looking for room 394. It's through this door, two hallways down and a flight of stairs. You can't miss it."

Nodding his acceptance, Harry grasped the door handle, opened it and made his way down the hallways. This certainly was not how he thought the afterlife would be like. It seemed very modern, where was the River Styx, or St. Peter, or the sprawling city of Youdu, or an ancestor leading him to the afterlife, or Hel, or other different religious afterlives? He finally reached the door number 394, reached out his hand to knock when….

"Come in Mr. Potter" said a voice as the door opened slowly.

"Hello, the secretary at the front desk said to come to this room."

"Aw yes, hmmm… Harry Potter, correct?" the Person inside said, "You may call me Morana. I am here to help you sort out your afterlife. Your file says that you lived a good life, though you did make a few mistakes. Though, nothing to terrible to fret about."

"What mistakes? I did everything to the best of my abilities!"

"Sirius was never meant to die. He was supposed to have a few kids and one of his descendants was supposed to create the cure for werewolf's; however, that's fine. We'll put that soul in someone else." Morana made a note on the file. "Ah, you had the kids you were supposed to. Good job on overcoming the love potions from Snape."

"He what!?"

"Now, now, no harm no foul. You ended up with one of the better possible matches. Though your perfect one would have been Astrid who was, at the time, living in Greenland. But enough about what might have been." Morana looked serious, "What religion would you prefer for your afterlife?"

"What?" Harry asked, "Can I go to the same afterlife as my family?"

Morana frowned as she flipped through a few papes of the file, "No, I'm afraid not. Your mother, and father are in different places and Luna is in an entirely different place all together. Now, you've got a few choices: you can be reincarnated, you can go the Roman Route, the Muslim route, the Buddhist one the Anglican Church Route, or you can do the Celtic, Korean, or any other route you wish."

Harry sat back, "Can you tell me where everyone is so I can make a choice?"

"Nope, you have to truly want and believe in the placement which never happens if you feel regret about not being in a different religion with a different person. You have to decide and then I'll let you in."

"If I don't decide?"

"Then we sit here staring at each other till you finally choose. And no, I am not allowed to give you anything to help you pass the time"

"That's not fair! All I want is to be with my family for the rest of eternity and now you're telling me that I won't get to see most of them every again. That's the only reason I kept going after Luna's death, that and my children! I knew I would see her eventually!" Harry palled, "Do you also mean that if my children decide not to be the same as I, I'll never see them again either!" Harry quickly started to mutter to himself.

"Yes, and while I understand that it's not ideal, I am truly sorry that you have to go through this. Not many have to make the choice you're about to. Generally, we send people on as soon as they die as they've already got a good idea where they want to go." Morana paused, "Those people you saw out there with you in the sitting room either have no idea, have lost faith in what they last believed in, or have never formed beliefs of their own. They stay in the waiting room until their appointment if they're an adult or until the Children's Department can figure out the best place to send them." At Harry's questioning look, Morana further explained, "Where the majority of their family is or where their parents are. If they're parents haven't died yet, we often keep them in the waiting room until the parent arrives to pick up their kid."

"It's not fair, I did everything to make the world a better place. All I want is my family."

"I know, but there's nothing I can do. Other heroes have gone through just as much and gotten even less than you. Now, you need to decide where you'd like to spend the rest of eternity."

Harry sitting still, started to think about what he believed. He wasn't a huge fan of St. Peter due to his early experience with exorcism due to his lovely Aunt and Uncle, he'd never felt that close to any religion really. What did he want? Looking inside himself he searched for who he wanted to be with for the rest of eternity and where they were likely to be. Finally, he opened his eyes and slowly tasted his words as they came out:

"I believe in….."


End file.
